"Great system that with more games will give sony an even battle"

Sony's dominance on consoles is going to have a run for its money. The Xbox 360 is not just a gaming machine but an overall media center. I'm going to break this review down into a few categories that I felt were good and bad about this system.

To start off with the power of the system and graphics: The HD gameplay and surround sound are pretty much as good as you will ever need. sure its possible to continue to make the images sharper but after playing Call of Duty or Madden in High Def you would realize that once graphics get to this level its now about gameplay. So for hardware power I would give it a 9/10 because some high level gaming pc's could of course out do the 360 but first off a little more detail doesn't make much of a difference at this level and then you have to think of the cost... $400 compared to $1000+

Next brings me to games: The first batch was a bit bland but we finally are seeing more games coming out they are very good. Oblivion is one which is a game with great graphics and gameplay that can keep you playing for 100's of hours. Call of Duty was also great because it had the ability to be fun single player or played on xbox live which puts you up against humans which to me makes the game a million times more interesting because AI is only able to do so much and becomes after time too predictable. A few games were then made for consoles like the ps2 and xbox that were redone to go with the hardware of the 360 like GRAW and Battlefield 2. Also as time goes on more great games will come out like Gears of War or Halo 3 and because developers are getting used to the 360 they will soon be able to really use it to its potential. Games rating 8/10

This last section is bascally a summary of all its other functions that make this such a great gaming and media machine. First off you are able to hook up your Xbox to your computer to view photos or video or be able to select songs to listen to while playing a game which a love when playing Call of Duty online or if I am too lazy to grab my Ipod and am sitting by my xbox remote. The other good thing about this is how easy it is too setup. You run one program and then you are set. USB ports for the wired control is also nice because you are able to plug in mp3 players and listen to their music or charge them. Lastly I want to address Xbox live. This is what sets the system out. If you are not able to use this function then you will want to look at offline games which could lead you to choose a ps3 or a Wii depending on what games are coming out for them. Back to xbox live though. the $400 package comes with an ethernet and a headset so for 50 bucks you will have online service for a year which if you think how long a year is a pretty good deal. You are able to play games online against anyone in the U.S. and Europe and do this with very little lag and very good support with servers and match-making that unless sony and nintendo can try and give it a run will in my opinion lead the xbox to the top because more and more people are getting high speed internet and once you play a great 4 on 4 match you will never again be satisfied playing AI. Lastly xbox live allows you to download demos for games and try them without renting them before you buy them and lets you download trailers and arcade games like geometry wars that are a blast and lets you get in touch with some older games like gauntlet or street fighter will be coming out.

Overall this system is well priced compared to is PS3 nemisis and with a head start on online play services is a good system to buy and you can bet your money this will not turn out to be a dreamcast.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10 | Originally Posted: 07/16/06

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